Improved water-wheel



UNITED STATES W. FLENNIKEN,

OF COLONY, IOVA.

IMPROVED WATER-WHEEL.

Specification forming part of Letters Patent No. 34,139, dated January 14, 1862.

To all whom, t may concern y Beit known that I, W. W. FLENNIKEN, of Colony, in the county of Delaware and State of Iowa, have invented a new and Improved Vater-Vheel; and I do hereby declare that the following is a full, clear, and exact description of the same, reference being had to the annexed drawings, making -a part of this specification, in which- Figure 1 is a verticalcentral section of my invention, taken in the line a; 6c of Fig. 2; Fig. 2, a horizontal section Aof the same, taken in the line 'y y of Fig. l; and Fig. 3, a detached inverted plan of a part of the wheel.

Similar letters of reference indicate corresponding parts in the several figures.

This invention relates to an improvement in that class of water-wheels which are commonly termed center-vent and are placed on a vertical shaft within a scroll.

The object of the within-described invention is to prevent the escape or leakage of water around the wheel at its junction with the top and bottom of the scroll. To this end I have the buckets of the Wheel at their lower parts and on the ends connected together so as to form a continuous rim at the bottom of the wheel, and the upper edges of the buckets are curved so as to conform to the shape of a deflecting-plate which is attached to the top of the scroll and serves to guide or deflect the water so that it will act properly against the buckets, the upper edges ot' the latter working in close proximity to the deflecting-plate.

To enable those skilled in the art to fully understand and construct rnyinvention, I will proceed to describe it.

A represents the scroll of the wheel, which may be constructed in the usual or in any proper form, and B is the gate at the mouth of the scroll. Underneath the scroll A there is a circular frame C, at the center of which the wheel-shaft D is stepped, as shown clearly in Fig. l. The shaft D extends upward through the center of a circular plate E, which is bolted to the top a of' the wheel, so as to form a water-tight joint or connection around the opening a in the top plate of the scroll, as shown at b in Fig. l. The under or face surface of the plate E is curved so as to form a deliecting-surface to cast the water down upon the buckets of the wheel. The curvature of this plate is shown clearly in Fig. 1.

F represents the wheel, which may be of cast metal and cast in a single piece. The buckets c of the wheel are of curved form both longitudinally and transversely. The longitudinal curvature is shown in Fig. 2, and the transverse curvature is shown in Fig. 1. The buckets project in atangential direction from the hub d of the wheel, as shown clearly in Figs. 2 and 3, and the outer ends of the buckets at the bottom of the wheel are connected, as shown at e in Fig. 3, so as to form a rim extending entirely around the wheel. The upper parts of the buckets c are not connected in any way; but their upper edges are curved so as to conform to the face or under side of the 'plate E, and the upper edge of the hub d of the wheel ts in a recess f at the center of the under side of the plate E, as shown clearly in Fig. l. The bottom of the wheel F, where the buckets are connected, fit-s in a circular opening g in the bottom of the scroll A, the wheel being' allowed to turn freely within said opening, but the wheel at the same time iitting snugly within it. The upper edges of the buckets c just graze the under side of the plate E. The water enters the scroll A and acts against the buckets c,

by the arrow 1 and passing out between the buckets at the bottom of the wheel.

The plate E serves a twofold purpose-one is to defiect the water downward, so that it will act efficiently against the bucket, and the other is to close the opening at the top of lthe scroll, so as to form a perfectly water-tight joint.

By this invention a very simple and effi.- cient horizontal water-wheel is obtained, one that may be very readily put up in all cases and without any material or appreciable loss of power by the leakage of water from the scroll. In consequence of the outer edges of the buckets at their lower ends being connected together, a good and close joint or connection is formed between the bottom of the wheel and the bottom plate of the scroll, a perfect rim being all around the wheel and the whole admitting of being cast in one piece. By having the buckets c arranged so rotating the wheel in the direction indicatedA neeted at their outer ends and lower part, so as to form a continuous riin all around the Wheel, while the upper ends of the buckets are detached, When said Wheel thus eenstrueted is used in combination With a stationary deflecting-plate E, placed at the top of the Wheel and secured to the scroll A, all being arranged as and for the purpose set forth.

W. WFLENNIKEN.

Witnesses:

JARED HUBBARD, AJDELos DE WOLF. 

